The present invention generally relates to a network, a system and a method for distributing digital media. More specifically, the present invention relates to a network, a system and a method for distributing content, digital media and/or a digital file to a subscriber via a remote access to a high-speed network. The network, the system and the method may provide data signals, video signals and/or audio signals from one or more servers to a set-top box of the subscriber via the high-speed network. The set-top box may be connected to a display monitor, one or more input devices and/or one or more output devices. One or more servers may be located at one or more central offices and/or may be in communication with the set-top box. One or more nodes may be connected to one or more computers and/or one or more servers for accessing the content, the digital media and/or the digital file. A substation may connect the set-top box to the one or more nodes. The subscriber may utilize keyboard, video and mouse (hereinafter “KVM”) switches over internet protocol (hereinafter “IP”) technology to request and/or to access the content, the digital media and/or the digital file from one or more servers via the set-top box and/or one or more nodes. The content, the digital media and/or the digital file may be transmitted from and/or may be distributed from the one or more central offices and/or the one or more nodes to the set-top box via the high-speed network.
It is generally known that a video signal and/or an audio signal may be transmitted from a cable company to a subscriber via a set-top box and/or a network, such as, for example, a coaxial network. The subscriber may access and/or may request the video signal and/or the audio signal via a high-speed connection provided by, for example, a copper line or a digital subscriber line (hereinafter “DSL”). The cable company may provide the video signal and/or the audio signal to the set-top box of the subscriber via the high-speed connection. As a result, the video signal and/or the audio signal may be received by the set-top box which may provide high-definition television (hereinafter “HDTV”) and/or video-on-demand to the subscriber. However, the video signal and/or the audio signal may utilize all available bandwidths of the network. As a result, the network may not be capable of providing multiple video signals and/or multiple audio signals to the set-top box of the customer. Therefore, the subscriber may be prevented from requesting and/or from accessing multiple video signals and/or multiple audio signals via the set-top box. Furthermore, the subscriber may be prevented from changing from a first video signal and/or a first audio signal to a second video signal and/or a second audio signal.
Alternatively, the cable company may transmit the video signal and/or the audio signal to the set-top box of the subscriber via a satellite network. The satellite network may allow for transmission of multiple video signals and/or multiple audio signals. However, the subscriber may not be capable to request the video signal and/or the audio signal from the cable company via the satellite network. Moreover, the subscriber may not interact with the satellite network. As a result, the satellite network may prohibit the subscriber from interacting with the cable company to request and/or to request and/or to access the video signal and/or the audio signal as desired by the subscriber.
Moreover, the high-speed connection and/or the satellite network may not be secured during the transmission of the video signal and/or the audio signal from the cable company to the set-top box. The video signal and/or the audio signal may be pirated, may be accessed and/or may be received by a non-subscriber via the high-speed connection and/or the satellite network. As a result, a non-subscriber may access and/or may receive the video signal and/or the audio signal without having to pay and/or to be a subscriber of the cable company.
A need, therefore, exists for a network, a system and a method for distributing digital media to subscriber. Additionally, a need exists for a network, a system and a method for distributing the content, the digital media and/or the digital file which may provide one or more data signals, one or more video signals and/or one or more audio signals to a subscriber without utilizing all available bandwidths of a high-speed connection. Further, a need exists for a network, a system and a method for distributing digital media which may allow a subscriber to request, to access and/or to receive the content, the digital media and/or the digital file via one or more nodes and/or a high-speed connection. Still further, a need exists for a network, a system and a method for distributing digital media which may be requested and/or may be accessed by the subscriber via a set-top box and/or one or more KVM switches from one or more servers. Moreover, a need exists for a network, a system and a method for distributing digital media which may provide one or more central offices, one or more substations, one or more nodes, one or more servers and/or one or more computers to store and/or to distribute the digital media. Furthermore, a need exists for a network, a system and a method for distributing digital media which may provide HDTV and/or VOD to a subscriber via a set-top box, one or more KVM switches and a high-speed connection.